


Meet in the Middle

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ficlet, Friendship, Hogwarts Era, Not Epilogue Compliant, Post-War, The Quidditch Pitch: From Diagon Alley to Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-10
Updated: 2010-08-10
Packaged: 2018-10-27 12:04:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10808664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: Rebuilding the family name has to start somewhere, and it might as well be with Neville.





	Meet in the Middle

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Written for Knic26, who asked for Neville/Draco and the prompt "opposites".

Boarding the Hogwarts Express the September after the war’s end was the hardest thing Draco had ever done, in a year filled with hardships and losses and realisations.

The Dark Lord had been a madman, now fallen. His mentor was dead, a double agent in the war. His father was in Azkaban, this time for good. Crabbe was dead, and Goyle was a shadow of himself. Hogwarts was still being rebuilt. The whispers of the other students held a vicious undertone as he tugged his trunk down the aisle in search of an unoccupied compartment.

It could be worse, he supposed. He could have been Pansy, the one person who was quite possibly even more of a pariah than he was currently.

“Hello, Draco,” a voice said, light and actually friendly. He paused, locating Luna Lovegood sharing a compartment with Neville Longbottom. “Are you still looking for a place to sit? You can join us if you like. You don’t mind, do you, Neville?”

Neville looked as though he’d rather drink bubotuber pus, but nodded. “Sure.”

Stowing his trunk, Draco sat down as far as he could while remaining inside the compartment, watching the other students find places. His companions had already taken the window seats.

“Draco was very kind to me while I was at Malfoy Manor,” Luna said conversationally. “Did I ever tell you about that?”

Neville shook his head, glancing quickly over to Draco and away just as fast. “No.”

“It got rather lonely there at times, and he’d come talk to me. Sometimes he even brought cake.”

Draco hunched deeper into his seat as Luna continued sharing her experiences as a prisoner in Malfoy Manor, doing his best not to flinch whenever Neville looked his way, something that happened more and more often the longer Luna spoke. He didn’t want to remember those days. He definitely didn’t recall them as positively as Luna seemed to.

“I should go,” Luna said happily. “I want to say hello to Ginny before she has to leave for the prefect’s carriage. She’s Head Girl this year, you know.”

He hadn’t. He didn’t care who was Head Girl or Head Boy, or who the prefects were for the year. He merely wanted to get through the days until Christmas with as little notice as possible.

“Is it true?” Neville asked once Luna was gone. “What she said?”

“She wouldn’t have said it if it hadn’t,” Draco replied harshly. “She doesn’t strike me as the lying type.”

“She’s not.” Neville looked away, watching the moving scenery outside the window. “I only meant that...We were worried about her, Ginny and I. When she vanished after Christmas last year. If you really did make things easier for her while she was being held...Thank you.”

“I don’t need your gratitude!”

Neville shrugged, still looking out the window. “I’m still glad.”

Draco slid further down his seat, feet stretched out before him. He’d been born to wealth and privilege, was gifted magically, had never wanted for anything in his life. He was used to having his way. Longbottom, on the other hand, had been one step above a Squib for most of his life, had struggled constantly for every achievement, and had parents who didn’t even remember his name. And yet somehow, Neville had still managed to come out on top, and Draco was practically lowest of the low.

It was a complete reversal from their first year, and while it rankled, Draco was smart enough to realise it didn’t have to always be this way. His fortunes had fallen, and he was going to need help if he was to restore any dignity to the family name. What Lucius had torn down in his allegiance to Voldemort, Draco would have to rebuild.

Neville could help him. If he wanted.

Compromise was nothing new, especially for a Slytherin. Perhaps in time he and Longbottom could even become, if not friends, at least cordial acquaintances.

“You’re welcome,” he muttered.

Neville smiled, and after a moment Draco smiled back. It was a beginning.


End file.
